AL - 'ILAAJ EDITORIAL BOARD, MSSN UCH, IBADAN

During the time of the Prophet ﷺ and the early pious predecessors, Tawheed (the absolute Oneness of Allah)   was fully understood. Later on, it became necessary to explain it in terms of its components. From the essence of Tawheed is Ar-Rububiyyah , which is the firm belief that Allah alone is the Creator of the universe and its Designer. He gives life and death as He wills. He is the Provider, the All-Powerful, and the Possessor of infinite strength. “And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: Allah. How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allah, Who created them)?” [Surah Az-Zukhruf: 87] “Say: Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne? They will say: Allah...” [Surah Al-Muʾminūn: 86-87] None denies Allah’s Lordship except the atheist, who claims to reject His existence while knowing deep down that He exists. They may substitute terms such as “nature,” “force,” or “the force of nature” to mask the truth. This denial is not b...

Nine years ago, Tim Urban, in his TED Talk Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator , shared the responses he received after writing a blog post on the same topic. Surprisingly, the messages didn’t come only from struggling students but also from highly accomplished professionals such as engineers, nurses, and PhD candidates, people who seemed to be thriving. Yet, they weren’t writing to celebrate their success despite procrastination; rather, they lamented what procrastination had cost them. Urban highlighted a striking truth: many chronic procrastinators manage to succeed. They spring into action when faced with looming deadlines, career-threatening risks, or the fear of public embarrassment. If you’re one of them, you might recall nights fueled by adrenaline, stressful and chaotic, but productive enough to meet the deadline just in time. But what happens when there is no deadline? When procrastination isn’t contained by external pressure? When nothing triggers that frantic, last-m...

Mawlid  or Mawlid Nabiyy, is a festival celebrated by many who believe it is an act of love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. However, a closer look at our religion's foundations reveals that this celebration is, in fact, an act of bid'ah , an innovation in matters of faith that is not permissible. This is a difficult truth for many, but our love for the Prophet should inspire us to follow his way, not to invent new ones. The evidence for this position is rooted in the Prophet's ﷺ own teachings and practices. Consider the hadith narrated by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Madeenah and the people had two days when they would play and have fun. He said, ‘What are these two days?’ They said, ‘We used to play and have fun on these days during the Jaahiliyyah .' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Allah has given you something better than them, the day of Adhaa and the day of Fitr . (Eid Al A...